Spray device



June 14, 1949.

R. E. MEADE EFAL SPRAY DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Jolz F Crew;

Filed Nov. 2, 1945 define impact faces against Patented June 14. 194% SPRAY DEVICE Reginald E. Meade, Nowell E. Taylor, and John F.

Crews,- Appleton,

Wis., assignors to Western Condensing Company, San Francisco, Calif., a corporation of California Application November 2, 1945, Serial No. 626,219

1 6'Claims.

This invention relates to a centrifugal force type atomizer or spray device and specifically deals with a centrifugal atomizer having counterrotatable heads or runners equipped with teeth arranged to develop maximum impact forces on inner runner and the outer runner.

These teeth on the outer runner also have a the velocity of the teeth on predetermined angle of attack so that they will material being atomized while providing efilcient purge paths for the material.

A feature of the spray device of this invention is its atomizing purge paths, which are so arranged as to develop maximum delivery capacity coupled with highly efiicient impact effect for efficiently atomizing particles even at a high delivery rate.

The device of this invention preferably has-a first rotating head or runner, and a second counter-rotating head or runner. The first head, in some instances, need not be rotated, and can merely serve as a distributor or feeder to the second head, The fir st runner receives material to be sprayed on the central portion thereof, and flings this material outward through a plurality of paths around the periphery thereof. The second head has teeth enveloping out from the paths of the first head. These teeth which the material is impinged to be further broken up or atomized. These teeth on the second head have purge paths therebetween so arranged that an efficient outward flow of atomized particles is insured. The device of this invention is thus balanced to create highly effective differential impact velocities and purge velocities. V

The counter-rotating first and second heads or runners of the devic of this invention eliminate the necessity for extremely high rotating speeds such as have been used in centrifugal type atomizers, and thereby avoids heretofore encountered vibrations and dangers'of extremely high speed operation. For example, heretofore known single rotating centrifugal atomizers have been driven at speeds around 15,000 R. P. M. to develop centrifugal force for atomizing material. The counter-rotating device ofthis invention; on the other hand, develops even more atomizing efiect by counter-rotating the first and second runners at half the speed used for uni-directional rotating devices.

The teeth of the second head or runner of the device of this invention-which receive the particles flung from the first rotating head or runnerhave inner edges so designed that they will not impede the outward flow of the particles. Thu these inner edges of the teeth have a minimum relief angle which is determined by the relation of-the velocity of particles flung from the the material flung j define self-scavenging purge paths for the atom-'- ized particles. Thus the impact faces of the teeth on the outer runner slope backward just enough to provide an efiicient purge path without appreciable loss of impact force effect on the particles received thereagainst. These particles are furtherbroken up or splattered against the backward sloping impact faces of the teeth and the teeth are relatively short in length so that their rear faces will not dam off outward flow ofthe spattered particles issuing from the succeeding teeth.

Another feature of this invention therefore resides in the provision of a spray device or atomizer having counter-rotating heads or runners which develop highly effective differential impact velocities to break down ized form and which also purge the atomized particles out of the device,

Another important feature of this invention is to provide a highly effective tooth design for centrifugal atomizers to obtain a wellbalanced combination of atomizing forces and purge velocities.

An objectof the invention is to provide a centrifugal force type atomizer with counterrotating atomizing parts arranged to successively act on material for efiiciently breaking up the material intoa spray.

A further object of the invention isto provide an atomizer having a distributor for delivering liquid to a rotating atomizer having teeth arranged at such an angle as to efiectively impact against the liquid to atomize it and to define purge paths between the teeth for efficiently purging the atomized particles.

Another object of the invention is to provide a centrifugal type atomizer with counter-rotating runners toeffectively atomize material at lower so design the teeth of rotational speeds than were heretofore necessary in centrifugal type atomizers.

A still further object of this invention is to a centrifugal type atomizer as to maintain a highly effective impact velocity on the material plus an efficient purge velocity.

A still-further object of this invention is to spray material by flinging it outward from one runner rotating in one direction into another runner rotating in the opposite direction so that the other runner will have a very high impact efiect on the material.

materials into finely atom- A still further object of the invention is to provide a high capacity centrifugal type atomizer that is efliciently operated at lower speeds than were heretofore necessary in the operation of centrifugal atomizers.

A still further object of this invention is to so design the teeth of a centrifugal atomizer that they will have maximum impact eflect on material being sprayed without damming off the purging of the material.

Other and further objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the annexed sheets of drawings which, by way of a preferred example only, illustrate one embodiment of the invention.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view, with parts in elevation, of a centrifugal atomizer of this invention mounted on a desiccating apparatus.

Figure 2 is an enlarged broken vertical crosssectional view, with parts in elevation, of the atomizer shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of the inner and outer runners of the atomizer taken along the line III-III of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a schematic drawing of the inner and outer runners illustrating the path of a tangentially discharged article from the inner runner and its point of impacting against the outer runner as compared with the diameters of the inner and outer runners.

Figure 5 is a vector diagram illustrating the manner in which the angles for the teeth on the outer runner are determined to provide the most efiicient purge paths and impact faces.

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the manner in which particles flung from the innerrunner are broken up by the impact faces of the teeth on the outer runner and also showing the manner in which the inner edges of these teeth are relieved so as to provide no interference against outward flow of the particles.

. As shown on the drawings:

In Figure l the reference numeral ll designates generally a desiccating apparatus or tank having a head or dome H with an inlet l2 for heated air or other drying gas. The counter-rotating spray device l3 of this invention is mounted on the head or dome H and projects through the head into the main body of the apparatus or tank 10. As best shown in Figure 2, the top of the head H has an aperture Ila therein and a mounting ring I4 which overlies the top of the head has a pilot portion Ma extending into the aperture Ha to position the ring on the head II. A tubular sheath I5 is secured to the under face of the ring 14 and projects through the head II to terminate in spaced relation above the outer runner of the spray device as will hereinafter be more fully described. This sheath has a tapered upper end portion |5a secured to the under face of the ring M as by welding or the like. The ring ll has a central aperture 16 therethrough.

A second ring I1 is mounted on top of the ring l4 and is secured thereto as by means of screws such as l8. This second ring II has a central aperture l9 therethrough with a recess Na in the top face surrounding the aperture. A tube 20 sur-' rounds the aperture is and depends from the ring II in the sheath l5. This tube 20 is secured to the ring I! as by welding or the like. A head 2| is secured on the lower end of the tube 20 and Provides an open-bottomed recess Ila receiving an 4 anti-friction bearing 22 therein. The outer race of the bearing 22 is locked in the recess 2la by means of a pin 23 or the like.

A second anti-friction bearing 24 has the outer race thereof seated in the recess 13a of the ring I? while the inner race thereof projects radially inward of the aperture I9.

A retainer cap 25 is disposed over the outer race of the bearing 24 and has an internal shoulder 25a opposing the recess I so as to cooperate therewith in clamping the outer race of the bearing fixedly to the ring I]. The cap 25 is secured to the ring II as by means of bolts 26 or the like. The cap has an aperture 21 in the top wall thereof.

A tube 28 projects through the aperture 21 of the cap 25 and through the aperture 19 of the ring l'l into the tube 20. This tube 28 is rotatably supported by the bearings 22 and 25. Thus as shown the tube has a reduced-diameter upper end portion providing a shoulder 28a bottoming the inner race of the bearing 24. A looking nut 29 is threaded on the tube 28 to thrust against the upper end of the inner race or the bearing 24. A locking washer 30 is interposed between the nut 29 and the top face of the inner race of the bearing and has a tang locked in a castellated portion of the periphery of the nut. This nut 29 is inside of the cap 25 and cooperates with the shoulder 28a to clamp the inner race of the bearing against longitudinal movement on the tube 28. Since the outer race of the bearing is similarly clamped, the bearing will support axial loads as well as radial loads.

The lower end of the tube 28 has a head 3! secured thereon. This head 3| defines an open-bottomed recess 3la receiving a third anti-friction bearing 32 for a purpose to be more fully hereinafter described. An opposing head member 33 is secured to the bottom end of the head 3| as by means of screws 3|. This head 33 has a tubular extension 3441 projecting through the recess 2la of the head 2| and through the inner race of the bearing 22. A shoulder 34b is provided on the tubular extension 340 in the recess 2 la to bottom the top face of the inner race of the bearing 22. A look nut 35 is threaded on the tubular extension 34a to cooperate with a lock washer 36 to oppose the shoulder 34b for clamping the inner race of the bearing 22 to the extension 3la,to prevent axial movement of the extension member in the bearing. Since the outer race of the hearing 22 is held against axial movement in the head 2! by the pin 23, the bearing 22 will support thrust loads as well as radial loads.

An outer runner or head 31 for the spray device I3 is carried by the tubular extension 340 of the head 34. As shown in Figure 2 this outer runner 31 has an upstanding internally threaded collar portion 314: threaded on the lower end of the extension 34a at a level beneath the head 2|. The runner 31 then has a downwardly sloping topwall 31b projecting under the sheath l5. Peripheral teeth 31c depend from the outer end of the top wall 31b.

A multi-grooved pulley 38 is keyed on the upper end of the tube 28 by means of a key 39. Set screws 40 position the pulley 38 at the desired level on the upper end of the tube 28. As shown in Figure 1 the pulley 38 is driven through a plurality of V-belts ll by an electric motor 42 above the dome ll of the desiccating apparatus III.

A tubular casing 43 surrounds the cap 25 and is welded thereto. The casing 43 projects upwardly from the ring I] to surround the pulley 38 in spaced relation. An opening 43a is provided the casing 45 on top of the casing'43.

A plate 44 ismounted .ontop of the casing 45 and has a circular groove 44a in its under facereceiving the upper end of the casing. The casing 43 is welded to the plate 44 along its inner and outer faces as shown in Figure 2.

A top tubular casing 45, preferably of the same diameter as the casing 43, is mounted on top of the plate 44. A ring 45 is welded around the lower end of the casing 45 to overlie the plate 44 and nut and bolt assemblies 41 are passed through the ring 45 and plate 44 for sec A plate 48 is mounted on top of the casing 45 and has an undercut peripheral portion 45a on the under face thereof receiving the upper end of the casing 45. The casing 45 is welded to the plate 45 as shown.

A ring 45 is mounted on top of the plate 45 and is secured thereto by means of screws 55 or the like.

Legs 5| (perferably three) integral with the ring 45 extend upwardly therefrom to provide an arbor with a head 52 spaced above the central portion of the ring 45.

The head 52 has an externally threaded cylindrical upper .end portion 52a projecting above the legs 5| and receiving a T fitting 53 thereon. One port of the T 53, such asthe top port, is closed by a plug 54 while the remaining port terial to be desiccated to the device l3.

The head 52 has a recess 52b in the bottom thereof with an integral nipple portion portion 52c depending from the top of the recess into the central portion thereof. A tapered bore 52d extends from the top end of the head 52in full communication with the T 53 to a cylindrical bore through the nipple portion 52c.

A rotatable feed pipe 55 projects into the recess 52b of the head 52 and extends freely through central apertures in the plates 40 and 44, into.

and through the tube 25, and projects through the lower end of the extension 3411 on the head piece 34. The lower end of the rotating feed pipe 55 has an externally threaded reduced diameter portion receiving therearound in threaded relation the hub. or upstanding collar 55a of the like. The bottom disk 550 has upstanding periph-' eral teeth 55d therearound engaging the under face of the wall 55b and spacing the disk from the wall. The top face of the disk 550 is tapered downwardly from the center thereof to be in spaced parallel relation from the under face of lining a continuous passageway 55 extending outwardly from the feed-pipe 55 in full communica-' tion with the interior of the feed pipe as best shown in Figure 2, A sheet of material .to be sprayed -flows through this passageway 55 to be broken up into jets in passing through the purge paths between the teeth 55d as will be herein.- after more fully described; The inner runner bottomthereof to be engaged by a wrench so that the hub- 56a can be tightened on the feed P pe 55.-

. 5 in the casing to receive the belts 4| therethrough.

receives a feed pipe (Figure 1) for supplying mathe wall 55b to thereby cooperate therewith in de.- I

is recessed as at 52 around the aperture 5| to reshoulder bottoming shims-or spacers I5 to thrust will be hereinafter more i to additional The feed pipe '55 projects through the inner. l5

. 6 racerlng of the bearing 32 in the head 5| carried by the tube 25 and has a shoulder 55a cooperating with a nut 55 threaded on the pipe to clamp the inner race of the bearing against axial movement on the pipe. The outer race of the bearing to the head 3| if desired in the same manner as the bearing 22.

The. pipe 55 is spaced inwardly from the tube 25 and projects freely through a central aperture 5| in the plate 44. The top face of the plate 44 ceive a bearing 53. The outer race ring of the bearing "is bottomed in the recess 52 and projects above the plate around. The cap 54 is secured to the plate 44 as by means of screws 55 or the like and has an inner shoulder engaging and overlying the outer I race ring of the bearing to cooperate with the recess 52 in clamping the outer race ring-to the plate 44. A nut. threaded on the pipe 55 cooperates with a shoulder 5511 on the pipe to clamp the inner race of the bearing 53 against axial movement relative to the pipe. The bearing 53 thereby supports thrust and radial loads to rotatably hold the pipe 55 relative to the plate 44.

A multi-grooved pulley 57 surrounds the pipe 55 in the casing 45 and is keyed to the pipe by means of a key 55. 'The pulley 51 is held at a fixed level on the pipe 55 by means of set screws 59. The casing has an opening 454; therethrough accommodating passage of a plurality of V-belts l5 trained around the pulley 51 in the grooves desiccator I (Fig. 1).

As shown in Figure 2, the pipe .55 projects freely through a central aperture 13 in the plate 45. This plate 45 hasa recess 14 in its top face surrounding the aperture 13 and receiving the outer race ring of an anti-friction bearing I5. This upperrace ring of the bearing I5 projects above the plate 45 and is surrounded by a cap 15 secured to the top of the plate 45 by means of screws II or the like. The cap has an inner against the top face of the outer race ring'of the bearing 15 and cooperate with the recess 14 for clamping the outer racering against axial move-.

ment relative to the plate 45. The inner race ring of the bearing 15 is bottomed on a shoulder 55c provided on the pipe 55 while the top of this inner race of the bearing is acted on by a clamplug nut 15 threaded on the pipe 55 to cooperate with the shoulder 550 for clamping the inner race ring of the bearing I5 against axial movement on the pipe. The bearing 15 therefore also rotatably supports the pipe 55 and holds the same against axial movement relative to the plate 45. A'fiinger 55 surrounds the pipe 55 above the cap 15 and is secured to the pipe by means'of set screws 5| or the like. The purpose of the flinger fully described. 1 The upper end of the pipe 55 projects freely into the recess 52b of the head 52 and is counterbored to receive a ring surrounding the nipple 520 of the head in spaced relation. Packing rings 53 surround the pipe 55 in the head 52 and are bottomed On a shoulder 52a in the recess 52b of 7 the head. A metal seal ring 54 thrusts against 55 preferably has a head 55 depending from the grooves around the inner and outer faces thereof to supply lubricant to the packing rings 53 and packing rings 55 underlying the ring 54. A plug 55 is threaded into the head 52 44 to receive a cap 54 thereagainst axial movement anaoas pipe 55 is rotatable in the head 52 and the 'packing arrangement is such as to permit relative rotation without permittingleakage out of the head and pipe. If any leakagedoes occur, the.

flinger- 80 will prevent the leaked-out material from entering the bearing 15, since it will throw the material outward by centrifugal force away from the cap I6 for the bearing. 7

Material to be atomized pumped or fed by gravity through the T 53 into the rotating-feed pipe 55. This feed pipe is driven in one direction by the motor 12 at a desirable constant speed.

. The material flows through the rotating feed pipe 55 into the passage 58 where it is flung outward through radial p'urge paths 89 between'the teeth 56d on the runner plate 560 as shown in Figure 3. The motor 42 drives the tube 28 in the direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the pipe 55 at a predetermined speed preferably equal to the speed of rotation of the pipe 55. The material fiung out from the purge paths 89 of the inner runner 56 leaves the outer ends of the purge paths in a substantially tangential direction to fly ahead of the runner in the same manner as water is thrown from a rotating wheel. The purge paths 89 are of a width to accommodate fr'ee passage of material but are sufliciently the inlet l2, but are unheated. The gases from the inlet 55 flow downward through the sheath l5 to flow out of the sheath over the top wall 31b of the runner 31. As shown in Figure 2, this top wall 3112 has apertures 96 therein to receive some of the gas for preventing back flow of material being atomized between the wall 31b of the outer runner and the wall 55!) of the inner runner.

The bearing carrying tube also has apertures 91 therein to receive some of the gas from the sheath I5 and these gases circulate through the tube 20 to cool the bearings. As shown in Figure 2, the head 3| hasa passage 3 la therethrough and is spaced from the tube 20. Gasin this tube 20 can then flow into and around the head 3| and into the recess Ila of the head 2|. The extension 340. on the head member 34 has apertures small so that the material is initially broken up or atomized. The atomized tangential streams flung out by the inner runner 56 are impacted against the teeth 310 of the outer runner or counter-rotating spray head to develop impact forces of high magnitude because of the opposite rotation of the outer runner. These teeth 310, as will be more fully hereinafter described, have backwardly sloping impact faces to define therebetween non-radial purge paths 90 shown in Figure 3 for eflicient outward purging of the atomized material. As shown in Figure 2, the teeth 37c surround the runner 55 and are in the path of the tangential streams thrown off by the runner 55.

In order to prevent possible seepage of atomized material into the head ll of the desiccating apparatus [0, a baiile 9| is provided at the bottom of the head i l to surround the sheath IS in spaced relation therefrom. The drying gases from the inlet 12 circulate in the chamber defined by the dome l I around the sheath I5 and thence through th opening in the baiile 9! to flow downwardly around the outer runner 31 and thence outwardly and circumferentially into the main desiccating tank in admixed relation with the sprayed particles issuing from the spray device. The main tank of the desiccator l0 preferably receives the main portion of the drying atmosphere from a tangential inlet 92 at a level beneath the dome II. The exhausted drying gases leave the desiccator through an outlet 93 while the desiccated material is removed from the bottom of the apparatus as at 9|.

'The interior of the sheath l5 preferably receives cool gases from an inlet 95 extending through the plate M of the apparatus l3 and these gases can be the same as the gases from 98 therethrough to receive gases from the recess 21a. and to flow these gases around the lower end of the pipe into apertures 99 in the top wall 56'!) of the inner runner. The gases are admixed with the material to be sprayed and flow outward therewith through the purge path between the teeth 56d. The venting of gases through the apertures 99 will break up any pump effect of the centrifugal runner 55 in attempting to centrifugally pump material to be sprayed out of the pipe 55. The gas passage through the apertures 91, 98 and 99 provides an efiic'ient vent for the inner runner 56 that will eliminate any pumping action of this runner. When operating at high speed it is desirable to feed cooling gases through the inlet 95 into the sheath l5 so that these cooling gases will pass through the apertures 95 and 91 to cooi the bearings and the spray heads.

According to this invention, a maximum transfer of energy into the particles being atomized is obtained while insuring eiiicient purging of the particles. An optimum balance of energy transfer and purge velocity as effected by the design and arrangement of the teeth of the outer runner. Since these teeth of the outer runner are to provide impact faces for breaking up the tangentially flung particle streams from the inner runner, these teeth must have inner faces that V will expose the impact faces of the teeth to the particles and, at the same time, will be out of the way of the particle streams. For this reason these inner faces are relieved to slope outwardly and rearwardly from the leading edges of the teeth. The maximum relief angle for the inner faces of the teeth is determined by the relation of thevelocity of the tangential particle streams and the outer tooth velocity for any given size of runner. The resultant velocity is obtained by.a velocity diagram showing addition of velocities and angular relationship of particles leaving the inner runner.

The impact faces of the outer runner teeth are so arranged as to have an angle of attack that will insure self outward scavenging of the impacted particles and still have maximum impact effect on the particles. To arrive at the optimum impact face angle for any given set of conditions, the resultant velocity of the particles attacked by the teeth is broken down into a force component parallel to the impact face of the tooth and a right angle component. The right angle component should be less than the angle of the impact face to insure outward purging.

As shown in Figure 4, with the runner 55 having a 9 inch diameter or 4 /2 inch radius R rotating counter-clockwise at 3500 R. P. M., and

the runner 31 having a 12 inch diameter or 6 inch radius R rotating clockwise at 3500 R. P. M., a particle tangentially discharged from the inner runner at A would intersect a tooth on the outer runner at B, which tooth would be at about B when the particle left the inner runner. The particle thus has a path A-B, and travels along this path at about 137 feet per second under the above indicated speed and radius for the inner runner. The teeth of the outer runner of the above-indicated size at the above indicated speed travel at 183 feet per second. The instantaneous direction of a tooth on the outer runner at point B is tangential to the point or perpendicular to the radius line OB. The tangent T makes an angle X of 41 with the line A-B.

In the velocity diagram of Figure 5, the line AB is drawn to velocity component scale representing 137 feet per second. This line is at an angle X of 41 below the horizontal. In Figure 5 the reference points have been transferred from point B of Figure 4 to any one of the teethapproaching point B so that point B approaches the reference teeth at 183 'feet per second and the particle approaches point B at 137 feet per second 41 below the axis or tangent line T. The line A-C is drawn on the same scale as the line A-B, but representing 183 feet per second to provide a velocity component line. The line A'C is parallel to the tangent line T and completion of the velocity diagram by drawing the hypot enuse between points B and C, shows that the resultant velocity is 300 ft. per second, represented by the line B-C at 17 below the horizontal axis or tangent lineT. The inner faces of the teeth on the outer runner should therefore have a minimum relief angleof 17 from a horizontal axis as illustrated in Figure 6. Thus the teeth 31p of the outer runner have inneredges or faces I sloping outwardly and rearwardly at an angle of 17 from a horizontal axis passed through their apex point.

As shown in Figure 6, when particles P attack the impact faces lfll of the teeth 310, they impinge on these faces at any point in the band between the preceding tooth and the inner edge of the tooth that they are impinging on; This band is represented in'Figure 6 by two dotted lines. When a droplet first strikes the impact face of the tooth, hydraulic forces are set up in the particle. These forces are equal in magnitude in all directions, causing the individual molecules in the particles to tend to rebound from the face in an infinite number of directions. This internal force is due to the'velocity of impact of the particles on the tooth face normal to the tooth face, and is represented by a line C-D which is the component of the total velocity C-B from the velocity diagram of Figure in the direction normal to the tooth face. If the efficiency of the impact were 100%, the internal force set up in the individual small particles of the droplet would rebound in all directions with a velocity equal to 0-D, but each i of these particles already has imparted to it a 'momentum parallel to the impact face llll which is represented by the line The total mass velocity of. all particles remains equal and some of the particles will leave the surface parallel to the tooth face. If the velocity normal to the tooth. which is represented by the line C-D, exceeds the magnitude of the velocity represented by the line BE, then the total velocity after impact would tend to return the impacted particles into the path of the incoming particles and reduce the effectiveness of the atomization. For eflicient purging of the atomized particles, therefore, the impact i'ace i0! must slope backward 5 at anangle which produces a component line B-E longer than the inward component line B-D, or not more than 45 from the inneredge of the tooth. A line BE is therefore drawn 45 below the velocity component line BC in the diagram of Figure 5, which line is 28 from the vertical axis of the diagram. v

In addition, as shown in Figure 6. the teeth 310 must be short enough so that the rebounding atomized particles from the droplets striking the inlet face will clear the preceding tooth as shown by the dotted arrow-headed lines of Figure 6.

From the above descriptions it will therefore be understood that this invention provides an atomizer with a spray head having teeth so arranged as to produce effective atomizin impact forces on material being sprayed while insuring outward purging of the atomized particles. The preferred embodiment of the invention includes counter-rotating spray heads with a rotating inner head flinging liquid streams or particles to a counter-rotating outer head having the abovedescribed arrangement of teeth. A maximum transfer of-energy into the atomized particles is thus obtained.

details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

We claim as our invention:

1. In an atomizing device, a rotatable atomizer member having an axis of rotation, a plurality of circumferentially spaced teeth on saidv member disposed in an annular zone about said axis, means for rotating said member in one direction of rotation, said teeth having forward faces with respect to said direction of rotation of substan- 'tial area extending from the inner and forward edges of said teeth outwardly and inclined backwardly from the radius of said axis of rotation with respect to said direction of rotation, a distributor for liquid material disposed radially inwardly ofsaid teeth for directing substantially all of said liquid material into the path of said forward surfaces during said rotation, whereby said liquid material is struck by said forward surfaces to atomize said liquid material and direct the atomized material outwardly from said atomizing device.

' 2. In an atomizing device, a rotatable atomizer member having an axis of rotation, a plurality of circumferentially spaced teeth on said member disposed in an annular zone about said axis,

means for rotating said member in one direction of rotation, said teeth having forward faces with respect to said direction of rotation extending from the inner and forward edgesof said teeth outwardly and inclined backwardly from the radius of said axis of rotation with respect 'to saiddirection of rotation, a distributor for liquid material disposed radially inwardly of said teeth for directing said liquid material into the path of said forward surfaces during said rotation, said teeth having inner faces also extending from the inner and forward edges of said teeth outwardly and inclined backwardly from the radius of said axis of rotation with respect to said directionof It will, of course, be understood-that various rotation to provide clearance for the paths of said liquid material from said distributor to said forward surfaces, said teeth being positioned sufiiciently close together and said forward surfaces being of suiilclent radial extent to cause substantially all of said liquid material to b struck by said forward surfaces to atomizae said liquid material and direct the atomized material outwardup from said atomizing device.

3. In an atomizing device, a rotatable atomizer member having an axis of rotation, a plurality of circumferentially spaced teeth on said member disposed in an annular zone about said axis, means for rotating said member in one direction of rotation, said teeth having forward faces with respect to said direction of rotation of substantial area extending from the inner and forward edges of said teeth outwardly and inclined backwardly from the radius of said axis of rotation with respect to said direction of rotation, a distributor for liquid material disposed radially inwardly of said teeth and having means for directing substantially all of said liquid material in a direction having a component opposite to the direction of movement of said teeth into the path of said forward surf-aces during said rotation, whereby said liquid material is struck by said impact surfaces to atomize said liquid material and direct the atomized material outwardly from said atomizing device.

means for rotating said member in one direction of rotation, said teeth having forward faces with respect to said direction of rotation of substan-- tial area extending from the inner and forward edges of said teeth outwardly and inclined backwardly from the radius of said axis of rotation with respect to said direction of rotation, a distributor for liquid material disposed radially inwardly of said teeth and rotatable about said axis. means to rotate said distributor member in a direction opposite to the rotation of said atomizing member to direct substantially all of said liquid material in a direction substantially tangentially of said distributor member into the path of said forward surfaces, whereby said liquid material is struck by said forward surfaces to atomize said liquid material and direct the atomized liquid material outwardly from said atomizing device.

5. In an atomizing device, a rotatable atomizer member having an axis of rotation, a plurality of circumferentially spaced teeth on said member disposed in an annular zone about said axis, means for rotating said member in one direction of rotation, said teeth having forward faces with respect to said direction of rotation of substantial area extending from the inner and forward edges of said teeth outwardlyand inclined backwardly from the radius of said axis of rotation with respect to said direction of rotation, a. distributor for liquid material disposed radially inwardly of said teeth and rotatable about said axis, means to rotate said distributor member in a direction opposite to the rotation of said atomizing member to direct said liquid material substantially tangentially of said distributor memher into the path of said forward surfaces, said teeth having inner faces also extending from the inner and forward edges of said teeth outwardly and inclined backwardly from the radius of the axis of rotation with respect to said direction of rotation to provide clearance for the paths of said liquid material from said distributor to said forward surfaces, said teeth being positioned sufflciently close together and said forward surfaces being of suflicient radial extent to cause substantially all of said liquid material to be struck by said forward surfaces to atomize said liquid material and direct the atomized material outwardly from said atomizing device.

6. In an atomizing device, a rotatable atomizer member having an axis of rotation, a plurality of circumferentially spaced teeth on said member disposed in an annular zone about said axis, means for rotating said member in one direction of rotation, said teeth having forward faces with respect to said direction of rotation of substantial area extending from the inner and forward edges of said teeth outwardly and inclined backwardly from the radius of said axis of rotation with respect to said direction of rotation, a rotatable distributor spray device disposed radially inwardly of said teeth, means for rotating said spray device in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of said atomizer member for producing a liquid spray and directing substantially all of said spray against said forward surfaces during said rotation, said atomizer teeth having inner faces also extending from the inner and forward edges of said teeth outwardly and inclined backwardly from the radius of said axis of rotation with respect to said direction of rotation to provide clearance for the paths of said spray from said spray device to said forward surfaces, whereby said spray is struck by said forward surfaces to atomize said spray and direct the atomized spray outwardly from said atomizing device.

' REGINALD E. MEADE.

NEWELL E. TAYLOR. JOHN F. CREWS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,373,372 Waite Mar. 29, 1921 1,420,722 MacLachlan June 2'1, 1922 

